Traci Does Sci-Fi

That’s the new R-rated Traci Lords--former (teen-age and underage) porno star--with leading man Arthur Roberts, on the set of “Not of This Earth,” which began filming in town last week. She plays a nurse; he’s her patient. Unbeknown to her, he’s also an alien who’s come to Earth from the Planet Davanna, which is in need of a supplemental blood supply.

If the title/story sounds familiar, that’s because it is. “Not of This Earth” originally was filmed in 1957 with Beverly Garland and Paul Birch. Roger Corman was the director.

Appropriately, Corman’s Concorde/New Horizon Pics is doing the remake--which also happens to be a musical comedy. This according to director/co-screenwriter Jim Wynorski (late of “Big Bad Mama II,” starring Angie Dickinson), who also revealed that Traci will sing the film’s title song.

Wynorski readily admits that Traci was chosen to star “because we knew the kind of publicity we’d get.” But, he added diplomatically, “Believe it or not, she can act. And, she’s trying to change her image.”